System for the crating of floatable goods

ABSTRACT

Apples or other floatable goods are loaded into a perforated container through a duct terminating in a screen at the top of a cage immersed in a water bath, the water being circulated by a pump to drive the goods into the duct from a channel aligned therewith. The cage is then lifted out of the bath to the level of a track while a pair of spring-loaded container-supporting bars are depressed to lower the loaded container onto a set of rollers whence it can be discharged onto the track preparatorily to the introduction of the next container.

United States atet Barhet llFeh. 22, 1972 [54] SYSTEM FOR THE CRATING 0F FLOATABLE GOGDS 3,481,103 12/1969 Summerour ..53/248X 3,470,670 10/1969 Gorin ..53/3S 3,178,867 4/1965 Martin ..53/248 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLIICATIONS 1,438,333 4/1966 France ..53/248 Primary Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Att0mey-l(arl F. Ross [57] ABSTRACT Apples or other floatable goods are loaded into a perforated container through a duct terminating in a screen at the top of a cage immersed in a water bath, the water being circulated by a pump to drive the goods into the duct from a channel aligned therewith. The cage is then lifted out of the bath to the level of a track while a pair of spring-loaded container-supporting bars are depressed to lower the loaded container onto a set of rollers whence it can be discharged onto the track preparatorily to the introduction of the next container.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures asawoo PAIENIEIJFEB22 I972 SHEH E [If 3 Robert L. Barber lnvemvor By R ss qKaT Attorney PAIENIEDFEB22 1972 8, 6&3 ,400

sum 3 0F 3 Robert L. Barbe? lnvenfort By WA 12m;

Attorney My present invention relates to a system for crating bulk goods with the aid of a fluid stream carrying them into a perforated container, especially fioatable goods (e.g. apples and other fruit) that can be transported by a flow of water.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact and easily operated assembly for the crating of goods in this manner.

A more specific object is to provide means in such a system for securely gripping a container during the filling operation and for thereafter releasing the filled container to allow its discharge preparatorily to the introduction of a new, empty container into the loading station.

In accordancewith this invention, I provide a cage which is movable between a loading and unloading position and a filling position, the former being preferably located above the latter (especially if the filling medium is water or some other liquid). The cage is provided with an inlet that opens into a container mounted on supporting means therein, the supporting means advantageously including one or more springloaded members urging the container upwardly and into contact with the top of the cage where the inlet terminates. In the fillingposition, this inlet is aligned with an external supply channelfr eceiving the goods to be crated, the transfer of the goods from the; supply channel to the cage inlet being accomplished with the aid of fluid-circulation means such as a liquid pump disposed in a closed path which includes the supply channel, the inlet, the perforated container, the surrounding cage and a tank receiving the cage in its lowered or filling position. In this position, pursuant to a more specific feature ofmy invention, the container is lifted by the spring-loaded supporting means above the zenith of an array of rollers on the bottom of the cage, the supporting means being depressed below that zenith (i.e., below a plane tangent to the crests of the rollers) as the cage risesto its loading and unloading position whereby the container may be discharged over an outgoing track alignedwithy'these rollers while a new container can be brought in via a similarly aligned incoming track.

The above and other features of my invention will become more fully apparent hereinafter from the following detailed description of a representative embodiment, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front-elevational view, partly in section, of a plant for the Grating of fruit in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line ll-ll of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a Bide-elevational view, partly in section, taken on the line III--Ill of FIG. ll;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. ll, showing the system in an alternate position; and p FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view drawn to a larger scale. showing details of the container-supporting mechanism of the plant.

The system shown in thedrawing comprises a stationary water tank l surrounding the lower part of an upright guide frame 2 withti winch 3 on its top driven by an electric motor 4.

The four corner posts of frame 2 are provided with projecting strips 5 for the vertical guidance of an elevator 6a whose lower part is'designed as a cage 6 open at all sides. The top of the cage is for ed by a grating 11 having a central opening for the passage o ,a flexible cuff 13 which forms an extension of an elbow-sha e] inlet duct 12. The elevator 6a can be raised and lowered wit the aid of a cable 7, wound around winch 3, between a filling position at a lower level (FIGS. l and 3) and a loading and unloading position at an upper level (FIG. 4), the motor- 4 being provided for this purpose with a suitable control circuit not shown.

The bottontof cage 6 carries brackets b within which two sets of rollers 8a are journaled. In the loading and unloading position oflElG. 4, these rollers are aligned with an incoming track and an outgoing track (symbolized by arrows F, and F in FIGS. 2 aritl li) serving for the introduction of empty containers C into the cage 6 through one open side thereof and for the removal of the filled containers through the opposite side I of the cage. The container C shown in the drawing is opentopped and has apertured side walls as well as an imperforate bottom; some or all of the container walls are advantageously transparent.

A pair of supporting bars 9 are vertically movable between the sets of rollers ha and are urged upwardly by two rows of compression springs Ml received in respective spring housings lllla (FIG. 5); in FIGS. I, 3 and d these spring housings have been omitted for the sake of clarity. Upon expansion of springs 10, as shown in FIGS. II and 3, the bars 9 are elevated above the zenith of rollers to press the container C against the underside of the apertured cage top or screen Ill, with the cuff 13 of duct 12 projecting partly into the container.

A horizontal supply channel 18 laterally adjoins the top of tank I so as to be aligned with the entrance end of duct 12 when the cage 6 is in its lowered position shown in FIGS. l and 3. An apertured gate 19, designed as a grate (see FIG. 3), is hingedly positioned at the outlet of channel 18 and can be tilted downwardly to open the connection between this channel and the aligned duct 12 (FIG. 1). In this position, a load of floatable goods such as apples P can be transferred from channel 11% via duct 12 to container C. To facilitate this transfer, a closed fluid path is established from tank 1 through a suction port M below cage 6,. a discharge pipe and a connecting conduit 17 (indicated only diagrammatically) to the entrance of channel 18, this path including a pump 16 for circulating the water from tank I in the direction of arrow f whereby the goods I are swept into the container C. I

The ends 9a of the bars 9 project laterally from the cage 6 into the path of respective abutments 211 which are rigid with tank I and frame 2 above the-tank, the bars 9 being retained by these abutments in the final phase of the ascent of elevator 6a into the position of FIG. 4 whereby these bars are depressed with reference to cage 6 against the force of springs 110. As best seen in FIG. 5, the depressed bars come to lie below the crests of the rollers 8a whereby the container C comes to rest on these rollers for discharge from the plant (arrow F In operation, the tank 1 is filled with water to a level N which is somewhat above the midplane of channel 18; the goods P are delivered to the channel 18 so as to float in this body of water. As the cage 6 with an empty container C is lowered into the tank, the container quickly fills up with water through its apertured sides so that the water level in the tank rises only slightly. Next, the gate 19 is opened and the pump 16 is set in motion to sweep the apples through the duct 12 into the container C which at this instant is firmly pressed against the overlying screen 11 by the springs 10 acting upon bars 9. The partial obstruction of inlet 12 by the goods generates'a certain flow resistance which causes the water in the tank to drop to a level N whereas the water in channel 1% rises to a level N At the proper moment, e.g., as determined by visual observation of the transparent container, the gate 19 is closed to discontinue the further flow of apples into inlet 12; the pump 16 may be stopped at the same time since the aforementioned level difference will drive the remaining apples from the inlet to the container. Thereafter, motor 4 is actuated to raise the elevator 6a with the full container to its upper level for the next unloading and reloading operation.

I claim:

ll. A system for crating bulk goods comprising;

a cage vertically movable between a lower loading and unloading position and an upper filling position, said cage having a top provided with an opening;

supporting means at the bottom of said cage for a perforated container adapted to receive a load of goods, said supporting means including a vertically movable member which is upwardly spring-loaded for pressing the container against said top in said filling position;

inlet means for said goods on said cage terminating at said opening above a container mounted on said supporting means;

a supply channel outside said cage aligned with said inlet means insaid filling position;

fluid-circulating means for generating a fluid stream through said channel, said inlet means and said cage in a sense driving said goods into said container preparatorily to a lifting of said cage from said filling position to said loading and unloading position; and

abutment means on said frame engageable with said member upon a rise of said cage toward said filling position for depressing said member relatively to said cage against its spring force, thereby facilitating removal of the container from said cage.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid-circulating means comprises a liquid pump in a closed path including said channel, said inlet means and said cage.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said inlet means comprises an elbow-shaped duct disposed substantially horizontally above said top, said channel being provided with gate means retractable upon alignment thereof with said duct for enabling transfer of said goods.

4. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said gate means is apertured.

5. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said duct is provided with a flexible extension traversing said opening.

6; A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom of said cage is provided with roller means, further comprising track means aligned with said roller means in said loading and unloading position, said abutment means being operative in the latter position to hold said movable member depressed below the zenith of said roller means, said movable member normally lifting the container above the zenith of said roller means.

7. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said cage is provided with an upright guide frame for said cage, further comprising a water tank surrounding the lower part of said guide frame, said top being perforated and lying below the water level in said tank in said filling position.

8. A system for crating bulk goods, comprising:

a cage movable between a loading and unloading position and a filling position, said cage having a top provided with an opening:

supporting means at the bottom of said cage for a perforated container adapted to receive a load of goods, said supporting means including a vertically movable member with an elevated position for pressing said container against said top and a depressed position for releasing the container for removal from said cage;

inlet means for said goods on said cage terminating at said opening above a container mounted on said supporting means;

a supply channel outside said cage aligned with said inlet means in said filling position;

fluid-circulating means for generating a fluid stream through said channel, said inlet means and said cage in a sense driving said goods into said container preparatorily to removing said cage from said filling position to said loading and unloading position;

roller means at the bottom of said cage;

track means aligned with said roller means in said loading and unloading position; and

mechanism operative in said loading and unloading position to hold said movable member depressed below the zenith of said roller means, said movable member in its elevated position lifting the container above the zenith of said rollers.

9. A system as defined in claim 8 wherein said cage is provided with an upright guide frame defining said filling position at a lower level and said loading and unloading position at an upper level, said mechanism including abutment means on said frame at said upper level, said movable member being upwardly spring-loaded and being provided with a projection engageable with said abutment means for depression relative to said ca e in said loadin and unloadin position.

10. R system as de med in claim 9, further comprising a water tank surrounding the lower part of said guide frame, said top being perforated and lying below the water level in said tank in said filling position. 

1. A system for crating bulk goods comprising; a cage vertically movable between a lower loading and unloading position and an upper filling position, said cage having a top provided with an opening; supporting means at the bottom of said cage for a perforated container adapted to receive a load of goods, said supporting means including a vertically movable member which is upwardly spring-loaded for pressing the container against said top in said filling position; inlet means for said goods on said cage terminating at said opening above a container mounted on said supporting means; a supply channel outside said cage aligned with said inlet means in said filling position; fluid-circulating means for generating a fluid stream through said channel, said inlet means and said cage in a sense driving said goods into said container preparatorily to a lifting of said cage from said filling position to said loading and unloading position; and abutment means on said frame engageable with said member upon a rise of said cage toward said filling position for depressing said member relatively to said cage against its spring force, thereby facilitating removal of the container from said cage.
 2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid-circulating means comprises a liquid pump in a closed path including said channel, said inlet means and said cage.
 3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said inlet means comprises an elbow-shaped duct disposed substantially horizontally above said top, said channel being provided with gate means retractable upon alignment thereof with said duct for enabling transfer of said goods.
 4. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said gate means is apertured.
 5. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said duct is provided with a flexible extension traversing said opening.
 6. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the bottom of said cage is provided with roller means, further comprising track means aligned with said roller means in said loading and unloading position, said abutment means being operative in the latter position to hold said movable member depressed below the zenith of said roller means, said movable member normally lifting the container above the zenith of said roller means.
 7. A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said cage is provided with an upright guide frame for said cage, further comprising a water tank surrounding the lower part of said guide frame, said top being perforated and lying below the water level in said tank in said filling position.
 8. A system for crating bulk goods, comprising: a cage movable between a loading and unloading position and a filling position, said cage having a top provided with an opening: supporting means at the bottom of said cage for a perforated container adapted to receive a load of goods, said supporting means including a vertically movable member with an elevated position for pressing said container against said top and a depressed position for releasing tHe container for removal from said cage; inlet means for said goods on said cage terminating at said opening above a container mounted on said supporting means; a supply channel outside said cage aligned with said inlet means in said filling position; fluid-circulating means for generating a fluid stream through said channel, said inlet means and said cage in a sense driving said goods into said container preparatorily to removing said cage from said filling position to said loading and unloading position; roller means at the bottom of said cage; track means aligned with said roller means in said loading and unloading position; and mechanism operative in said loading and unloading position to hold said movable member depressed below the zenith of said roller means, said movable member in its elevated position lifting the container above the zenith of said rollers.
 9. A system as defined in claim 8 wherein said cage is provided with an upright guide frame defining said filling position at a lower level and said loading and unloading position at an upper level, said mechanism including abutment means on said frame at said upper level, said movable member being upwardly spring-loaded and being provided with a projection engageable with said abutment means for depression relative to said cage in said loading and unloading position.
 10. A system as defined in claim 9, further comprising a water tank surrounding the lower part of said guide frame, said top being perforated and lying below the water level in said tank in said filling position. 